For a lot of people 2023 was going to be a big year. Fitness goals were going to be achieved, savings targets were going to be met and we were going to spend time with family or learning something new like a language or musical instrument.
Now that we have entered March looking at months of the year we are now over 15% of the way through 2023, how’s your year started so far? Are you on track or close to achieving your 2023 goals? Or have the wheels come off and you are nowhere near achieving what you set out to do from January 2023?
If your year is on track and you’ve started well, great work and keep doing what you are doing. If this isn’t you then don’t worry there is still plenty of time left to finish 2023 off on a great way.
Below we discuss 5 tips to get your 2023 back on track.
Prepare a thorough review of your efforts in 2023 so far
While writing detailed goals and having a plan to achieve these is part of the battle, you also need to take action and put in the effort. Did you start 2023 with a work ethic that was needed to achieve all your goals for 2023? Or have you coasted and put in a token effort expecting the results to come?
There is a popular saying, “reward for effort” meaning if you put in the effort, the rewards will likely come. How high are your effort levels?
We tend to live in an on demand culture at the moment where we want everything now yet don’t want to put in the work or pay the price for said demand. Or we make excuses as to why things haven’t worked out or that it’s everyone else’s fault but ours.
Review your efforts to start 2023 and if they aren’t up to scratch then it’s time to lift your game. There’s plenty of time left in the year to achieve something great, you just need to make sure your efforts align with what you want to achieve.
How “real” or personal are your goals?
A lot of people struggle to make real changes in their life if the goals they set aren’t personal or these goals don’t have sufficient personal meaning. When the good times are rolling there is no struggle however when the going gets tough and you want to give up the more personal the goal the more likely you will stick it out.
The bigger the goal the more likely you will hit a tough stretch and be tempted to give up. The more important this goal is to you, the less likely you will quit and will ride out the hard times.
If you set goals for the sake of setting goals, or goals that didn’t mean much then this is a big reason as to your ineffective start to 2023. This doesn’t mean 2023 is a write off, this just means you need to review your goals and set new goals that mean something to you, goals that you will want to fight through to complete when the going gets tough.
Were you honest with yourself regarding your starting point?
Most humans are likely to overestimate their abilities or to minimize how bad things are. This could be believing you are in a better financial, fitness or relationship starting point than where you really are.
If this is you then it’s likely your true starting point is way behind where you thought you were and it’s likely you have no real shot of achieving your goals, at least in a reasonable timetable such as in 2023.
If you weren’t honest or miscalculated where you really are, this isn’t the end of the world, recalibrate, reset and launch. This may mean your goals may take longer to achieve or you may require additional training or coaching to get you up to speed however don’t let this put you off. Make the changes and finish 2023 hard.
Are you capable of achieving everything you set out?
We mentioned being honest with your starting point above, have also been honest with your abilities and what you can actually achieve? Overestimating your ability is a big reason as to why your goal attempts may have been lackluster to start 2023.
Have a serious look at your abilities and be honest if you have bitten off more than you can chew. Again this isn’t a big deal, you just need to make some adjustments to your time frame, you may need some additional training or coaching, however the quicker you are honest with yourself, the quicker you will start achieving meaningful things.
Do you believe in yourself?
Whilst setting goals is an important part of improving yourself, if there isn’t much self belief then setting goals won’t really do much to your life
Lack of self belief can also cause procrastination and this could be holding you back from fully embracing your goals. If the belief isn’t there, you may not be going all in or you may not be going anywhere with 100% effort.
Nearly everyone has belief issues, don’t let these hold you back from a successful and fulfilling life. If there are serious self belief issues in your life seek out help in the relevant areas as soon as possible then build from that. Look to challenge yourself, take yourself out of your comfort zone and strive to become a better version of yourself.
If your 2023 hasn’t gotten off to the best start this doesn’t mean that the year is written off. We are only just over a quarter of the way through the year, there is still plenty of time to achieve something great in 2023. This means you will need to review your approach, what worked and what didn’t and make the necessary adjustments.
Once you’ve reassessed your goals and your approach, start afresh with personal and achievable goals and make 2023 the successful year you deserve.